before the pain | luke (JATP)

XXXV

When Luke got home that night, he did not expect his parents to look at him the way they did, his mother was furious as her eyes were glued to the television. Luke placed his guitar and walked into the room listening to the news.

"Five teenagers were today seen outside of the Orpheum, the five have still not been found, but we hope to hear their amazing music soon again" Luke smiled brightly as he listened to the news reporter.

"You went to Broadway in the middle of school hours?" This sentence however did not brighten his smile as Luke looked at his father who only looked at his with disappointment.

"Mom, dad, Listen I know how it looks but I can explain-" Luke tried but as his mother's cold eyes met his, he felt his heart sink, of course, he knew this was the last thing they wanted, their son to begin skipping school to make a dream that they don't approve off.

The smell of the now burned bread and the sound of the water dripping was all that filled the room between Luke and his parents before Mitch, Luke's father decided to stand up and sigh.

"No band practice for 2 weeks" Luke dropped his jaw with these words. "2 weeks? Dad me and the boys can have a gig at the Orpheum-"

"Stop it, Luke! I did not raise such a brilliant boy only for him to waste it all away on this... music" Emily said as she almost threw the knit sweater on the floor, looking into the eyes of his son. "Luke you are so talented and smart, but you have to focus on scho-"

Luke looked away as Emily's hand tried to touch him, he turned around, taking his guitar, and stormed into his room closing his eyes as he sighed. He wondered if this was how Mila felt when she said that her parents didn't approve of her writing either.

Luke leaned to the side, picking up his broken-down black notebook as he heard his parents try and talk in low voices about his future, he opened the notebook and couldn't help but smile as the page turned to "Now or Never". Luke didn't know you get happy simply by seeing handwriting.

He turned some pages seeing "Bright '' the song the two of them had written together he took a deep breath as he took his six-string out of its case. He took a pencil as he began playing a small melody.

"B and then a Gm" He whispered as he played a melody.

He thought of the smell of her perfume, how her nose scrunched whenever she got mad, he thought of how shy when she talked about her stories, yet her eyes brightened more than he had ever seen. He ended up sighing as he thought of how cold her touch had felt since the kiss, how he had ruined them...

"If you just want to be friends It's cool by me" He sang in a low voice as he played the melody. "There are people who waits their whole life - to feel like you and I" He tapped on the guitar as he closed his eyes. " But why be happy....." His voice cracked before sighing. " It's almost a waste of time"

And with that the melody stopped, his whole body went numb as he placed the guitar beside him and he leaned back onto his bed. The sheets felt like soft silk,  meaning his mother had been washing them that day. He closed his eyes, his breath being the only sound in the whole room, as he soon fell asleep.

The next morning as Mila stood by locker 272, she seemed rather shocked to see Aera walking in a quick paste towards her, her high heels were new and the perfume seemed stronger than normal. Her hair was also in a half-up, half-down hairstyle which was very unlike her.

"What's the rush?" Mila asked with a small smile as she closed her locker, paying her attention to her friend, who seemed in a state of panic. "Did you see the news yesterday?" Aera asked, and the panic only continued as Mila shook her head.

When Mila had come home the day prior, the house was empty, the decorations were gone and the smell of home-cooked dinner was no longer taking over the house....

Her mother had left again

"Well, expect to be sent to the principal's office then... Bobby has already gotten detention and no one has seen Luke today" Mila raised an eyebrow as she looked at her, only to remember what the four boys and her had done the day before.

"They can't expel us just from skipping one day, can day?" Mila asked as the two of them began walking down the hallway, making sure they wouldn't be late for their classes. "Well if you do an illegal act then yes"

Mila felt her heartbeat race, which was in no way helped her as when they turned a corner, her face ran directly into her history teacher and Miss Bone.

"Ahh Mrs. Garcia, are you feeling better than yesterday?" Miss Bone asked with a small smirk, Mila widened her eyes as she slowly nodded her head, Aera acting like she never walked with Mila she walked past the two teachers, turning around giving a pity thumbs up.

"Well Mrs. Garcia we were looking for you, will you join us at the principal's office? " Mila gulped as she nodded slowly, her dirty broken down converse made sounds against the shiny school floors as they walked towards the office. Mila could feel the sweat developing on her back as it ran down, and she knew it was leaving marks.

She didn't even sit on the chair beside the secretary for more than 2 minutes before the door opened and the principal let her in. The teachers were asked to stay outside, which seemed to not please either of them. Mila faked a smile as she placed herself on her usual chair.

"Well well well Miss Garcia, you haven't been in here for a while," The principal said as he nodded opening the big stack of papers, only talking about what was wrong with her, causing her to feel rather small.

"No Sir... I have changed" She lied as the principal said up and looked directly into Mila's eyes. "And Miss Garcia,  you believe skipping a whole day was changing?" The principal asked, his eyes could murder as Mila felt goosebumps on her arms.

"And what exactly were you doing?" He continued as he leaned back in his chair, Mila faked a small laugh as she answered almost blindly. "Helping elders?"

"Helping Mr. Patterson, set up him and his band to play illegally outside the Orpheum, I will say Mr. Patterson is older than you but to call him elder, is not what I would describe him as"

Mila felt her heart sink as she leaned forward in the chair: "Sir.. I can explain" He put up a hand stopping her as he answered: "You know what this means?"

"That I'm a good friend?" She answered with a smile, trying her best not to panic.

"That you are taking this out on yourself, this is your senior year and how it's going now, you are going nowhere Miss Garcia" The principal said as Mila could see he was on the edge of losing it, almost like he was more stressed about her bad grades than him.

"I'm okay with that-" The principal slapped his papers on the desk and stood up from his chair as he looked at Mila, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"I don't have time for this, you're always in trouble, the only good news, soon where you're going after this. Will not be my problem, cause I'm going to enjoy my summer break before leading the next seniors, and you will disappear from my life forever, but if you wanna do that with a diploma, you got to start putting school first Miss Garcia"

Mila felt how her eyes began tearing, yet she tried to pull it together as she sat up more straight. "I am fully capable of deciding my own future sir, and I will assure you I will go somewhere important" She answered, yet all her bravery was lost as the principal began laughing.

"Get out of my office Miss Garcia, you are expelled"